Fight our Desires
by islandgirl33
Summary: Daryl thinks Beth is gone forever. But somehow she finds her way back to him and the group, but she's not alone and she's changed in a way that blows his mind. Will there still be a place for her back in the group and Daryl's heart?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - This is my take on how Daryl feels with Beth gone and what could happen if she came back, it will contain no clear spoilers for season 5 ,as I plan to take things in a different direction to the show. For anyone reading my other story, "Light in the dark", I am still working on that, but wanted to explore this idea too. Depending on the response I may continue with it, or leave it as a oneshot.**

_We can fight our desires._ _ But when we start making fires. __We get ever so hot._ _Whether we like it or not. __They say we can love who we trust._ _But what is love without lust?_ _ Two hearts with accurate devotions._ _And what are feelings without emotions?_

_La Roux - In For The Kill_

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><p>"<em>You're going to miss me so bad when I'm gone, Daryl Dixon…."<em>

The startling truth in that statement was heart-breaking. Those simple little words were always with Daryl now. Wherever he was, whatever he was doing, they were always there stuck at the back of his mind, and no matter how hard he tried to forget them, he couldn't. It was as though they had been forever imprinted on his soul. A soul he wasn't quite sure he'd had until he had been with her.

Some time had passed since he'd last seen her. But he'd never forgotten her. Sometimes he felt as though he couldn't even remember what she looked like anymore. He just saw flashes of blonde hair, big blue eyes, pale skin and an infectious smile. But that didn't matter. All that mattered was how he felt when he thought of her, how his whole system warmed up inside when he remembered what it had been like when she had been there, how it had made him feel. A feeling he had never had before, and had certainly never had since.

The group were on the road again, Daryl had lost track of how long exactly. The days all seemed to merge in to one. But the cooler weather with the changing seasons, along with the fact that baby Judith nearly had a full set of teeth now and an impressive shock of hair, reminded him alone that it was a long time since the days of the prison. When Judith had still been in diapers and had only had a tiny tuft of dark hair that Beth had used to comb to one side with the pink butterfly hairclip he'd found for her when he had been out on a run one time.

...

Daryl was thankful he had met up with his people again, that together they had something to live for again. But it was bitter sweet. Beth had always been the one out of the two of them that had never lost hope that they would be reunited with the group, that she would see her sister again and their friends. Daryl would have all but given up if it hadn't been for Beth. So it didn't feel right that she wasn't here with them now, whilst he was.

Sometimes he felt angry that they weren't doing more to find out what had happened to her. That everyone seemed to have given up on her. But in reality he was just angry at himself that _he_ hadn't done more. He hadn't been able to save her, to stay with her, to keep her safe and worst of all he hadn't been able to find her.

He knew the group were getting further and further away from the prison site and also with that further and further away from Beth. From her memory. But the pain of losing her was still there, every single day. First it had hit him like a raw stabbing pain, the heartbreak he had felt when everyone had met up again and he had realized she wasn't there, that they weren't going to find her, that she really was gone. It had taken him by surprize, but none the less it had hurt like nothing he had ever experienced before in his life. Daryl hadn't actually realised it was possible to feel such pain, he'd vowed then to find her.

But with each new day, it was becoming less and less likely he would ever find out what had happened to her. Daryl tried to lock his feelings away, to bury them in a way he had always been so good at before. He had tried to move on, to forget.

Except he couldn't. It was always there like a dull ache. Every time something or someone reminded him of her, something Maggie would say in passing, or Carl, or simply baby Judith crying in a way only Beth could console, it hit Daryl how much he missed her and how much he longed for her to come back.

For the most part though, Daryl managed not to think about her in the daytime. The days were easier. He could keep himself busy, going on runs, fighting walkers, protecting the others and making plans with Rick. It was what he was good at. It was the only life he knew now and he felt finally for the first time in his life as though he belonged somewhere, as though he was valued. He mattered here, he knew that. But if he was honest it had been Beth that had made him see that. Ever since that night they had drunk together and talked for hours, ending with them burning down that goddam awful place they'd found, Daryl had finally been able to leave the past behind him and discover who he really was, a good man. Who would have though in all his years, it would have taken a girl like Beth Greene to make him see that?

If the days Daryl could just about manage to get by in, the nights he couldn't. It was the nights that got to him the most. The long lonely nights, where he couldn't pretend everything was okay. Where sleep never seemed to find him no matter how hard he tried, and he would lie awake for hours haunted by his thoughts. Even on the few occasions that he did actually manage to fall asleep, Daryl would always dream that Beth was still alive, that she was right there lying next to him, he could see her and touch her. Her soft flawless skin and silky blonde hair, her pink lips teasing him with one of her playful smiles….Then he would wake with a start to reality, and he would hope for the best, but fear for the worst. She was dead.

Sometimes he hoped she was dead, better that then what could be happening to her if she was still alive and with the wrong people, something he was powerless to stop now and a thought he dreaded above all else. She had been so young, so innocent, he should have protected her better.

Mostly though Daryl would simply lie awake for hours, hands behind his head, staring at the night sky, shivering in the bitter winds, going over and over the same old things in his head. He thought about the guilt, the guilt of not being able to find her. He retraced every last second of their final moments together, how he had told her to wait outside without thinking. How he had shouted her name until his voice had gone hoarse and how he had run after her tracks until he had collapsed on the road. The guilt ate away at him. He knew no-one else blamed him, not Rick, Michonne, Carol, Maggie even. They all knew only too well, what it was like in the world now. But that didn't stop Daryl from blaming himself. He couldn't look Maggie in the eye either. Not because he felt bad that he wasn't able to save her sister, but because he knew Maggie had given up, she had accepted what he couldn't. _That Beth was gone forever._

It wasn't just the guilt that kept Daryl awake night after night either. It was regret. Regret that he hadn't handled things differently with Beth back when he had had the chance. He'd had plenty of time to think about it since she had been gone. Back when they had been together he hadn't treated her the best, he knew that, he'd lashed out at times. But he could see now that that was in part because he had been confused. Confused at how she made him feel, how much she had meant to him. How much he had wanted her.

In his eyes back then she had just been a girl, Hershel Greene's youngest daughter. She'd had boyfriends her own age, she was immature, naive. She'd judged him.

Except she didn't judge him. Daryl could see that now and he wished he could go back. Have their time together again. There were things he would never have been able to say to her at the time, that he perhaps he could now. He would tell her how much she meant to him, how she had given him hope in a way no-one ever had before, hope that he could have a chance at being happy. If Daryl Dixon had been a changed man back at the prison, he was even more of a changed one now. He could see life was short, life was precious. Any small chance of happiness had to be grabbed by the horns with both hands.

He was watching other members of his group forming stronger bonds, while he felt alone. He craved that closeness in a way he never thought he was capable of. He had always been a lone wolf and happy with that. But just in those few days he had spent with Beth, he had realized that he could try to connect to another person, he could potentially take comfort from getting close to someone else. Beth had made him feel as though his life had meant something. He wasn't just some greasy redneck, he was a real man, a hero.

Sometimes in his past Daryl had felt as though there was something wrong with him, because he didn't think he'd had those needs like other people. But that aside he was still a male, he had urges, and he had appreciated the beauty in Beth even before the prison was taken, he'd had the occasional sexual fantasy about her, despite thinking it was wrong and he would never act on it, pushing his physical urges to one side.

But when Daryl thought back to their last night together at the funeral home, he could see now that he had wanted them to get closer. Even if he hadn't realized it at the time. In those brief few moments just before he'd had to fight off the walkers and she had been mysteriously taken, Daryl had been beginning to entertain the idea, as crazy as it seemed, that he could start something more intimate with her.

But all that had been cruelly taken away from him. Time had made him see that Beth was the one good thing to happen to him and now she was _gone._

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><p><strong>Next chapter - Beth comes back!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**a/n - Thanks for feedback on last chapter. Okay, I have never written anything like this before so a little nervous, but here goes with the next chapter. I may still tweak it slightly. I also have a request. I would LOVE to find a beta to help me work on my ideas for this story and a couple of other 'walking dead' ones, (Daryl/Beth and Daryl/OC maybe). As it's new to me. If anyone is interested or can recommend anyone as there are so many listed, please PM me.**

**Also I said no spoilers for this season, because I don't know if everyone is caught up with it. But I have a bad feeling, so might have to find more comfort in the world of fanfiction!**

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><p>"This place aint safe no more," Rick said as he strode up to where Daryl was fiddling with his cross bow in the corner of the old rundown barn they had been taking shelter in for the past few weeks.<p>

Daryl looked up, but didn't say anything at first, "No-where is safe anymore," he eventually responded as he turned back to what he was doing, his dark hair falling over his eye as his muscular arm adjusted the edge of his weapon.

"I mean it, man. We need to move on, there's something up with this place, tomorrow before sunrise we need to be out of here, we can find some place new, recharge," Rick continued, pointing his finger in Daryl's face with passion, as he added, "People don't feel safe here no more, foods been going missing, there have been people watching us we've all felt it, we need to get out of here and on the road. Before the weather turns cooler too," pausing with his hand on his hip, his eyes searching Daryl intensely awaiting his response.

Daryl set his crossbow down this time, looking Rick straight in the eye as he said, "We're out of here before sunrise."

It wasn't a decision Daryl was thrilled with, they were comfortable where they were if nothing else. But he knew it was the right one. Rick was right, there were definitely people staking them out. Supplies had gone astray and they were now running dangerously low, there had been strange tracks and people had caught glimpses in the woods of dark shadowy figures. It wasn't worth the risk. However, Daryl wasn't so sure about Rick's plans to go to DC anymore. Not now the cure guy had turned out to be a dead end. Daryl had never been to DC, but he was pretty sure the streets weren't paved with gold before and they certainly wouldn't be now. Still he didn't have a better idea, there didn't seem to be much to stick around Georgia for. He knew he had little chance of finding Beth now too. She was gone, he had to try not to think about it, just except it and start over.

"Right well first…" Rick said, opening his mouth to say some more, before he was abruptly stopped short by the sound of a woman screaming.

"Carol," Daryl yelled.

In a flash, Rick and Daryl followed by the rest of their group were by the entrance to the ruined building. They had boarded it over allowing for just a small look out for safety. Peering straight through they saw a group of about five or six rough looking men, all armed and pointing their weapons at the barn. In the centre was a mean looking older guy with long curly grey hair, holding a knife to a terrified looking Carol's throat.

Daryl instantly felt a surge of anger as he moved through the door, followed by Rick. "Not so fast," Rick said in a fierce whisper to him, using all his strength to hold a determined Daryl back.

"What do you want?" Rick yelled, clutching his gun in his hand.

"We want all your food and weapons, or she dies," the grey haired guy said in a gruff voice.

"Not going to happen," Rick yelled back shaking his head. They'd fought off too many bad guys to lose everything to some rednecks like this.

"Oh yeah," the older guy said smirking back at Rick. Pinning a wriggling Carol even closer to him as he said, "The deal is you give us everything you've got and you get her back, plus the added bonus, you all get to live."

Daryl looked in to Carol's eyes, he could see his friend was scared but he could also see her pleading with him. She didn't want them to lose everything for her, she'd rather sacrifice herself, she was tough and this wasn't going to break her.

"How do we know, you're telling the truth?" Rick said firmly, looking the enemy straight in the eye.

"You don't," he replied, smirking even more.

Rick looked away, pressing his lips together, shaking his head. Daryl knew he had a decision to make. He would never willingly put any of the groups safety at risk, but he also couldn't just give up all their stuff, they'd die out here.

"Put your weapons down on the ground, now," the rough looking older guy said, his tone changing to an altogether more menacing one as he looked round at Rick, Daryl and the rest of their group pointing their weapons back at his men. He pushed his blade in to Carol's neck some more as she let out a small whimper and one of his men let out a gunshot in to the air.

"Look we don't want no trouble," Rick quickly said, holding his hands up to buy time.

"Oh yeah, well if she ain't a big enough incentive for you, how about the boy then," the older guy said, gesturing in a split second to one of his men. Before Rick and any of the others had the time to process it, the guy had grabbed a terrified looking Carl from where he had been stood to the side of the group, pointing a gun at his head.

A look of panic instantly flooded across Rick's face at the sight of his only son in such a vulnerable position. Daryl knew this time their leader was well and truly backed in to a corner. There was no way he would let anything happen to Carl. If Rick ordered them to fire, there was a chance they might knock out some of the enemy, but it would also mean Carl would get a bullet in his head in the process. That simply couldn't happen. They were screwed.

"Drop your weapons," Rick turned and said slowly to Daryl and the others, his voice displaying an undertone of defeat.

Before they had the chance to follow his orders a single gunshot rang out loud and clear. Blood then followed, pouring down the temple of the ugly grey haired ringleader seizing Carol, as he slumped over her enabling her to break free and grab his knife. Several more shots quickly followed, first the guy holding Carl was down, then one by one, all the others in the enemy group fell to the ground. In an instant, Rick, Daryl and the rest of the group had their weapons ready too. But they weren't needed.

Instead of fighting, they just stared wide eyed and dazed at the pile of corpses that had been so intent on robbing them of everything just moments before, as they tried to work out what the hell had happened.

It was Maggie that said it first, _"Beth."_

Daryl jolted at the mention of her name, adrenaline pulsing through him. Then he saw her too, his jaw dropping open slightly in shock. He couldn't miss her. She looked subtly different to when he had last seen her. She was wearing a read and white checked blouse, tight blue jeans and brown boots. Her hair was a little longer and looked lighter and glossier, her skin was flawless, her eyes bright and alert, she also looked slightly older, her petite figure had a few more curves. But it was definitely her, it was definitely Beth. She looked great. Her lips breaking in to the big smile that Daryl remembered only too well, lighting up her entire face.

"Maggie," she exclaimed as she rushed towards her sister, tears of joy brimming in both women's eyes as Maggie flung her arms around Beth's neck, clutching her tightly to her. Daryl watched the sister's quietly from where he was stood next to Rick. Still embracing her sister Beth looked up and around for a second, before catching Daryl's eye, neither of them had to say anything, the look was enough. She was back.

Maggie and Beth stayed like that for a while, before the rest of the core group, Rick, Carl, Glenn, Carol, Michonne were all crowding around their old friend too.

Daryl moving quietly over with the others, nodding and smiling awkwardly as Beth reunited with the group, a wave of emotion washing over him in the realization she was alive, she was okay. And he tried to make some sense of what had just happened. Beth was back, she'd survived, she looked incredible. Did she really just take out that entire group of assholes on her own?

"You want to tell me what's going on, blondie?" An unfamiliar male voice said, breaking up the reunion, causing everyone to stop what they were doing and turn to see, Beth wasn't alone. She had another guy with her. He looked around late twenties, was tall and muscular with a handsome face and dirty blonde hair and he was fully armed.

"It's okay, Ryan," Beth said excitedly, "These are my people, I've found them again."

"Your people?" he questioned with a guarded slightly arrogant tone.

"Yes, you can trust them," Beth went on to say calmly.

"You can't trust no-one, you know that," Ryan replied firmly as his eyes locked coldly with Rick's.

"Yeah, well, guess what? We don't trust no-one either," Rick responded boldly his eyes narrowing.

"Who is this asshole?" Ryan said to Beth, not moving his eyes away from Beth's former leader.

"Never mind who I am. Who the hell are you?" Rick said directly to Ryan with an icy glare.

"Beth," Maggie suddenly cut in, her eyes full of concern.

"This is my sister, Maggie," Beth explained to her companion, trying to diffuse the situation a little. Keeping her voice calm still, she sucked in a breath and said, "This is Ryan, he rescued me, he saved me from a fate worse than death."

Remaining silent, Daryl felt as though he had just taken a bullet to the chest as those words rang through him. Beth had been kidnapped by bad people under his watch and _he_ should have been the one to save her, not this jackass. He felt a mixture of pain, anger, confusion and relief. Of course he was over the moon she was safe, and even if he wasn't great at showing it he was immensely happy to see her again. He had honestly given up hope that he ever would. But now that she was back looking more beautiful and alive than ever it was completely messing with his head. She'd changed. But more importantly he just couldn't stop thinking she should never have been parted from him in the first place.

"Well, pleased to meet you, Ryan," Maggie said stretching out her hand forcing the younger guy to turn and acknowledge her.

"What you doing out here, Beth?" Rick said directly to her.

"We were out on a run, when we heard gunshots. We got a camp hidden about a mile and half away, we've got shelter, supplies, lots of food, water and medicine, it's an old secret army base it's secure, I can take you all there. You can join us," Beth explained.

"Beth," Ryan cut in, shaking his head still frowning a little.

"You got a leader?" Rick said to them both.

"Yep, his name is Jack, he's a good guy like you, Rick. I can take you to him," Beth said.

"Okay," Rick replied, nodding in agreement.

..


	3. Chapter 3

**a/n - Thanks for the lovely response to last chapter. I didn't really have time to update so quickly, but I was excited to get the next chapter out. Please let me know what you think. (Oh and I'm still looking for someone to help me with my ideas at some point.)**

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><p>"You okay?" Carol said to a thoughtful Daryl as they walked along the deserted dusty footpath, bringing up the rear of their group, making their way across the countryside to Beth's new camp.<p>

Daryl had barely spoken to anyone since leaving their old shelter behind earlier. He knew full well he was being a tad moody and aloof, but he couldn't help it. There was just too much going on in his head once again. Completely out of the blue Beth was back. Just when most people had reluctantly given up on ever seeing her sweet face again, Beth had surprised them all and seemingly just appeared out of no-where, bright and fresh and full of life.

Daryl had barely said anything to her in the short time she had been back with them. Just muttering a polite, "It's really great to see you," or some crap, before skulking off to leave her talking to Maggie, Glenn, Rick and the others. It was easier that way. He could find out what had happened to her later.

...

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" he mumbled, looking sideways back at his friend in response to her question. He hadn't forgotten, moments earlier Carol had nearly been butchered right in front of his eyes.

"Oh, me, I'm fine," she said with a small smile, adding, "I'm made of tough stuff, you know that."

"Yeah," Daryl replied, agreeing with her. Carol was a fighter. Nothing seemed to faze her much anymore.

Returning to silence once again for a moment they walked on, before Carol suddenly said, "It's the right thing to do."

Daryl kept his eyes straight in front of him he knew Carol thought he had reservations about leaving their old base, about trusting anyone new after all they had been through. But she was wrong, he did try and see the good in people and things now, more than she and any of their other friends realized.

"Yeah, maybe," he eventually mumbled back in response again. His tone warning her not to push it further, he just wasn't in the mood for talking much.

"We couldn't have carried on for much longer back there, Daryl…. I know you don't think we should trust people anymore, but it's _Beth_," Carol said, ignoring his brush off, trying to reason with him.

Daryl's eyes flitted to the group in front on them, resting where Beth was walking along with Maggie and Glenn, her new mysterious male companion walking silently by her side. Despite what Carol was thinking right now, it wasn't that Daryl didn't want to join these people. He wasn't exactly crazy about it, he knew there were always going to be risks involved, but regardless of that, Carol was right they did need to find someplace new to survive. His awkwardness with the current situation was more around Beth.

Despite barely so much as uttering her name to anyone since she had been gone, Daryl had thought about the younger Greene girl non stop since she had been taken that night outside the funeral home. He'd thought about the speed the black car with the cross had taken off with, he'd thought about where it could have gone and how he could have found it, over and over again. Now that Beth was actually back, he just couldn't wrap his head around it, the reality being he had precisely no idea how he was supposed to handle it.

...

Daryl set his backpack down beside him, taking in a deep breath as he starred methodically out at the gushing river in front of him, taking comfort from the soothing sound of the clear water bubbling over a colourful assortment of rocks and stones. The beauty in nature never failed to amaze him, even now, as golden beams from the setting sun danced off the sparkling water in front of him.

The group had been at Beth's new camp for a few hours. It was in reasonably good condition and had been well hidden, it was some sort of ex military base, set away from the main road and next to a small river that Daryl hadn't even been aware existed until now. A little secret gold mine in the ever expanding world of chaos and darkness that they now all sadly existed in. Rick had spoken briefly to the leader, a surprizingly well mannered guy in his mid to late thirties with cropped dark hair and a fit body, called Jack. They hadn't been turned away and could stay for now, but despite their strong connection to Beth there were still things that needed to be worked out before they could be fully welcomed, Daryl, along with the rest of Rick's group was well aware of that.

In the short time that they had been there, Daryl had kept himself to himself, preferring just to be in his own company. He had concluded that it was a bit like Woodbury, only not quite so soulless, more of a community and it was a safe zone, they had systems in place and people seemed content, like they had a chance at a reasonable existence again. Daryl had to admit that so far he got a good vibe from the place. Although his gut always told him to reserve judgement, that things were not always as they seemed and for that reason alone he had hung back a bit to take it all in.

There had been a gate with a coded entrance around the perimeter and inside there were a few residential buildings clustered closely together. Beth had been right; they seemed to have supplies too. Fresh water, food, weapons, along with the promise of clean clothes, beds with actual mattresses and pillows, and people that smiled occasionally. Daryl could see why the safe zone would seem like a pretty attractive offer to the rest of his group. Plus, Beth was there too of course.

However, despite not being able to take his eyes off her, Daryl still hadn't managed to interact properly with Beth yet. They had exchanged a few looks since they had got back to the camp; Beth had smiled in his direction more than once. But they hadn't had an actual conversation. Daryl knew that it must seem as though on some level he was avoiding her, but whenever she had looked to be on her own and he had wanted to approach her, she had quickly been interrupted by Maggie, or become pre-occupied with Judith, or engrossed in a conversation with Carol. It had just become easier for him to keep his distance. But that didn't mean that he wasn't aching to be near her again, to talk to her, to say the things that had been in his head ever since that eventful night she had gone.

…..

Daryl drew in a breath; feeling a slight breeze sweeping back his long dark hair, exposing his rugged handsome features. He contemplated just how he had gotten here after everything to this seemingly peaceful place. He thought about how quickly things could change, how bleak things had seemed days before. He watched as a blade of grass in front of him swayed gently in the same early evening breeze and he suddenly felt a presence beside him.

Glancing to his left wondering for a second if he was imagining it, he saw a slight figure had sat down next to him. Beth. Her blonde ponytail was falling loosely down her back in waves, her eyes were sparkling like they always had and her lips were pressed together in an all too familiar way.

He didn't say anything at first, just looked at her, feeling a small flutter spread through him as his dark blue eyes met her lighter ones straight on. Looking at her some more he was sure he saw her cheeks flush slightly. It was clear their first proper conversation was not going to be easy.

"I can't believe I haven't spoken to ya yet," Beth said tentatively, awaiting his response, a small tingle growing in her stomach.

"Yeah," Daryl agreed slowly, forcing a small smile. He had gone over a thousand times in his head what he would say and do if he saw her again. Now he was faced with that very scenario he was lost for words. The way she was looking at him, her face full of apprehension, he knew she wanted or expected something from him. Something he just wasn't sure he could give her.

"I brought you some food, you must be starving," Beth went on to say, her heart pounding.

A long lock of golden hair fell across her cheek as she placed a plate of food down next to him. Daryl wasn't quite sure what it was, but it looked and smelt better than anything he'd eaten for months. It was also presented on a china plate with actual eating utensils, a complete rarity in the world these days. Perhaps he was dreaming, he thought.

"Thanks," he replied, looking away for a moment and back at the clear gushing water in front of him on the riverbed, his lungs filling deeply with pure oxygenated air.

Looking out to the water too, Beth placed both her hands underneath her thighs, drawing in a breath. "I used to come out here to think all the time when I first got here," she said, the gentle softness to her voice creating a sort of warmth in Daryl as she paused, before adding, "I used to just gaze out at the water, at the wonder in it. I couldn't quite believe that I was still alive, that I'd made it out. I had another chance to live and there were still good people in the world, _after_….." This time she trailed off and stopped, as the atmosphere shifted, an unspoken air of tension hitting them both.

"Beth, I,…." Daryl started hesitantly, shaking slightly as he forced himself to continue, "I, tried to follow the car…I tried…"

"I know," Beth quickly cut in, looking straight at him through her long eyelashes. He didn't have to say this.

"I ran after the tracks until they stopped," he continued, his voice thick with emotion.

"I know," she repeated with conviction in her voice. He really didn't have to say anything; Beth had always known Daryl would have done absolutely everything in his power to go after her. She had also known that he would have fought the walkers in the house off with ease, and he would have made it out and somehow met up with the others again, she had meant every word when she had once told him that he would be the last man standing.

"I tried, I tried…" he repeated again quietly, adding, "But you were just gone." Looking away from her and in to the distance, communicating like this certainly didn't come easily to him.

Beth took another deep breath, her lower lip trembling, her eyes widening as she took in the hardened features on Daryl's handsome face. "It weren't your fault, Daryl," she said looking at the pain etched in his eyes, "If anyone is to blame, it's me. I don't remember much, but I know I wasn't exactly doing the best job of hiding myself from the walkers on the road, and I couldn't get away with that stupid damn sprained ankle, I couldn't have made it easier for them to take me if I'd tried."

Silence fell between them once again, tense awareness in the air still, as Daryl digested her words, there was so much he wanted to ask her in response. He opened his mouth but the words dried on his tongue. He knew he needed to hear what had happened to her, but he was painfully aware right now wasn't the time. When she was ready she would tell him, until then he would simply be thankful she was okay, she was right here next to him again, breathing the same air, alive.

"We got places you can get cleaned up, if ya like," Beth eventually said, uncertainty in her voice as she changed the subject.

Daryl looked down at his feet, alerted to the fact he was a filthy, greasy mess. Bathing wasn't really top priority when he was concentrating on trying to stay alive. He opened his mouth to make a smart retort, thinking better of it as Beth beat him to it, quickly adding with a shy smile, "You can use our place if you like, we have an actual shower that works."

Daryl felt his body stiffen, as her words sunk in. She lived here now, with _someone._ Why did that even matter to him? She wasn't his, not like that and never would be and that was exactly how it should be. Whatever he may or may not feel for her might confuse the hell out of him, but it was irrelevant and always had been. She was Beth. She was like a younger sister to him, anything else would be entirely inappropriate.

"Ryan," he couldn't help but mutter in a slightly gruff voice, without even having the chance to think about it. Looking up, their eyes met for a moment, his eyes widening, questioning.

Beth felt something tugging at her heart as she held Daryl's gaze. She could see a trickle of sweat winding down his forehead, her lips parted as her gaze swept across his face, resting on his troubled eyes again, as she simply said, "He saved my life," her voice shaking as she added, "But _you_ saved it first."

Slowly she glided her right hand out from under her, placing her small delicate fingers over Daryl's large rough ones, instantly lacing them together in a way that felt so natural to them both, causing electricity to instantly rush through them. Daryl savoured the sensation of her touch for a moment more, before slowly pulling his hand away as he found his bare muscular arms were suddenly wrapping themselves around her neck, drawing her to him. Beth's eyes fluttered closed as she pressed her body closer to his, so close she could feel his heart beating in his chest. Daryl relished the softness of her body next to his as he inhaled her scent. Electricity shooting down his arms and throughout his body some more, sexual awareness, a sensation he was not familiar with anymore.

They stayed like this for a while, time standing still with the wonder of the moment, hitting them with raw emotions they couldn't quite figure out. Their close friendship had been unexpected , but ran deeper than any either had experienced before. Now after everything that had happened to them both, they were back together...

...


	4. Chapter 4

**a/n - Thanks again for the reviews and support for this story. I'm really enjoying writing about these characters, I can't wait to add more chapters and reveal more of the story :)**

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><p>Beth took a deep breath, her pulse still racing slightly, still a little high from the warm and fuzzy feeling she'd experienced moments earlier after her heart to heart with Daryl and their hug. Reaching her bedroom door she hesitated for a second, before she calmly turned the door handle to walk in to the room she had been lucky enough to call her own, ever since she had been taken in to Ryan's group.<p>

"Where have you been? We were looking all over. I hope you don't mind but I've been looking for some bed sheets to put on the bed, but I couldn't.. " Maggie said, looking up to see Beth stood in front of her, stopping mid sentence, noticing her younger sister had two opened beers in her hands.

"Sorry, I was talking to Daryl," Beth replied casually, holding a bottle out to her sister. She still couldn't quite believe her older sister was here. That by some strange twist of fate she had somehow managed to stumble across Maggie and the others, just when she had least been expecting it. For a long time, Beth had thought there was a good chance she would never see Maggie again, now just like that she was stood right there in front of her, talking to her about bed sheets, it was pretty surreal.

"Are you for real?" Maggie said, her mouth falling open in shock as she looked from Beth to the beers. Maggie honestly couldn't remember the last time she'd had a beer. Her younger sister being the very last person she would have expected to be offering her one too.

"Here," Beth said with a smile, passing the bottle across to her sister, adding, "It's a little warm and just the cheap and nasty stuff that got left behind, but it's a beer."

"Thanks," Maggie said, still in shock, as she put the warm frothy liquid to her mouth to drink, savouring every last sip of the precious beverage.

"Since when did you drink anyway?" Maggie said, taking the bottle away from her parched lips, wiping her mouth, eying her younger sister curiously. There was definitely something different about her, she looked older, less vulnerable, more composed, Maggie could tell she had grown up a lot since the prison, she was a woman now. She had lost that scared little girl look. She was growing in to a real beauty too. Her lips were fuller and eyes brighter, and her skin was glowing in a radiant way, her cheek bones altogether more defined.

Beth just shrugged as her sister continued to look at her, she wouldn't even know where to start. From the night she got wasted with Daryl in the woods, changing everything. To the many times she'd had to fight for her life since then. She was different now. She was far from the weak and naive girl that Maggie had lost back in the prison. Beth saw the world with new eyes now, she'd had to after everything she had been through.

"Well, whatever, I'm glad you do," Maggie said flashing her sister one of her warmest smiles, she couldn't put in to words how happy she was to see her only living relative again, holding her bottle to hers to chink, adding, "Where do you get them from anyway?"

"Oh, we have a small stash, we try to only save them for special occasions." Beth said looking at her sister affectionately; being reunited with her only sister was a pretty big deal, worth celebrating.

…

"So, you sure it's okay for us to take your bed?" Maggie questioned biting her lower lip as they drank some more. Maggie would be grateful to sleep anywhere that wasn't a hard stable floor, but Beth had offered her and Glenn her double bed, a luxury Maggie couldn't refuse.

"Of course, I can just sleep on the sofa, it's no big deal," Beth replied, "Here," she went on to say as she passed her sister some clean sheets from the side, setting her beer down as she unfolded the base one, gesturing for Maggie to take the opposite corners.

"You take that side," Maggie said bossily, re-positioning the sheet in her hands as she spread it out on the bed.

Beth looked at her older sister arching her eyebrows slightly; Maggie had always had a way of taking charge and bossing her around a little. They could almost be back at the farm now, almost. It was amazing how quickly they were just back to being sisters again.

"So, you and Ryan then?" Maggie suddenly said playfully as they got to work, her eyes burning with curiosity. There were many things she wanted to question her younger sibling about, but for now she would just settle with quizzing her on the more light-hearted stuff.

"Oh, we're just friends, that's all." Beth said awkwardly, looking away concentrating on the corner she was tucking in to the edge of the bed, her blonde pony tail bobbing up and down as her cheeks reddened a little. That wasn't exactly true. Beth had had her fair share of male admirers over the years, and she knew that ever since the day that Ryan had saved her from the hospital there was something unspoken between them. But something had held Beth back from getting too involved. She had thought at first it was just that she couldn't risk getting too close to anyone again. But the nagging feeling at the back of her head, told her it wasn't that, it was something else. Something she couldn't let go of.

"Really? He see it like that?" Maggie questioned further, a little taken aback as she took in Beth's flushed cheeks and uncomfortable tone. She had never known her sister to be embarrassed about her love life before. Beth had always been the prettiest girl in their town, she'd had no shortage of boyfriends when they had been growing up, and from the looks of him to Maggie, that Ryan guy was just her sister's type. Insanely good looking for a start, with a kind of self assured cockiness that was very attractive, but he also had kind eyes to go with it, he was the loyal type. Maggie could see that. She had seen the way he had been looking at Beth too. In the short time she had been at their camp, Maggie could tell he thought the world of her sister.

"Uh,huh," Beth said, not wanting to elaborate further. It wasn't that she wasn't starving to have that kind of connection to someone, to have intimacy, love even. It would be a welcome distraction from the darkness that had now erupted in the world. She just wasn't sure if that was where her friendship with Ryan was really heading. He was a man and he had needs, he was experienced, he would expect things from Beth she felt sure of that, things she wasn't sure she was ready to give.

"Well, if you say so, but he's a good looking guy, Beth. He'd take care of you. You could do a lot worse. Daddy would like him too…." Maggie said eagerly as she plumped up one of the pillow cases. She knew perhaps she was being a little presumptuous, she hadn't know him long, but Maggie prided herself on being a good judge of character and anyone that had taken care of her little sister all this time when she hadn't been able to, was more than okay by her.

Half listening to her sister, Beth stood up to smooth down the other side of the duvet cover. Lifting her head up her eyes flicked to the window beside her and she caught sight of Daryl stood alone on the ground outside, instantly hitting her with a rush of butterflies as she focused in on him. He was examining one of the old disused motorcycles that had been left at the camp, one of the ones that no-one in their group had been able to get going yet. He looked deep in concentration, his dark hair falling over his eyes, he looked weary with all the signs of someone that had had a hard life, but looking down at him Beth had never really noticed how handsome he was before.

There was just enough light in the sky to enable him to see as dusk crept in and Beth continued to gaze down at him, drowning out the sound of Maggie's voice as she thought back to their earlier conversation by the river. Beth knew that Daryl would have felt terrible after she had just vanished the last night they had been alone together, she also knew that he would have tried everything in his power to go after her. But it had still been nice to hear him say it. Beth was also aware that conversation had never been Daryl's strong point, but she'd come to realize a look was worth a thousand words with him and the way he had both looked at her and held her for that short time earlier, had told her all that she needed to know. He was happy to see her again, really happy.

"Listen, Bethy, I'm just going to say this, saving yourself for that one special guy, well the world aint the same place anymore, y'know…." Maggie carried on talking at her, as Beth continued to be distracted by Daryl on the ground below. Watching his expression she wondered what he was thinking. He wiped his brow a little as he set something down on the ground. Then she saw Rick marching over to him, engaging him straight away in conversation. Beth was curious as to what they were talking about, it looked quite serious, Rick was doing all the talking, waving his hands around in that same animated way that he'd always used to back at the prison. Daryl was nodding in agreement. Beth's heart sunk a little, she knew that they were wary of strangers; she couldn't bear it if they didn't trust Jack, Ryan and the rest of her new group. Even worse if they didn't want to stay here. She then felt a small wave of relief as both men broke in to laughter, Rick patting Daryl on the arm before he walked away, Daryl turning back to what he had been doing before. The two men were going to stay in one of the empty buildings at the camp, along with a few of their other people. There were a few vacant places now in Beth's camp. Her new group had lost people too and they were down to smaller numbers.

"What were you talking to Daryl about?" Maggie suddenly said, taking Beth by surprize, joining her by the window catching her watching Daryl on the ground below.

"Just catching up," Beth replied a little dreamily.

"Well, I guess he was the last person to see you, after you..." Maggie said, trailing off, before adding, "He told us about the car that took you, I think he felt bad he couldn't do anything," pausing some more, as Beth silently willed her sister to carry on, she wanted to know if Daryl had spoken about her much when she hadn't been there. "You know Daryl though, he aint exactly Mr Chatty, it was hard to get anything out of him," Maggie stated bluntly.

"If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here now. He took care of me when there was no-one else." Beth replied a little defensively, her cheeks burning. Even though she hadn't seen Daryl in a long time, after their time together she felt certain she knew him better than anyone now. There was so much more to him, than Maggie and everyone else realized. Just because he couldn't express it in words, didn't mean he hadn't been bothered that she had gone.

"He's a great guy," Maggie said smiling, picking up on Beth's tone, she hadn't meant anything in what she had said about the quiet archer. A lot about Daryl seemed like an enigma to her. Sometimes they got along. But it wasn't like he ever talked to anyone about how he was feeling. Well maybe he talked to Carol, but she didn't think he did it very often. Maggie hadn't been aware of just how much Daryl had meant to her little sister either. But then again they'd spent time together surviving in the wild after the prison, experiences like that could bond people, Maggie knew that.

"He's the best," Beth responded, her voice full of emotion.

Maggie looked from Daryl on the ground back to where Beth was stood beside her, she opened her mouth to say something more, but before she had the chance to say anything further, the front door to the building opened noisily, two male voices followed.

"That will be Glenn back with Ryan," Maggie said changing the subject. Beth just nodded as a silence fell and they both turned away from the window. Beth shared the place with Ryan and his sister Isobel, and she was relieved that they had seemed to accept her own sister and husband so easily.

The silent moment was broken as Glenn burst in to the room, "Maggie, Beth….." Glenn said as he flung the door open.

"Sorry, am I interrupting something?" he mumbled awkwardly, looking from Maggie to Beth as he took in the sudden silence.

"Not at all," Beth quickly said, with a bright smile.

"Okay, it's just a few of us have been hunting, we've got a few things to cook over the fire outside, lights not great and it's getting colder but Rick said to group everyone together," Glenn said sounding more relaxed.

"Great, I'm starving," Maggie said excitedly, walking towards her husband, "You coming?" she said looking back at Beth…

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><p><strong>an - Would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter. It was more from Beth's POV and I wanted to add in some Maggie, as I find it frustrating on the show how the writers sometimes seem to overlook that they're sisters. Next Chapter will be more Beth & Daryl. I am also toying with the idea of some romance for either Rick or Carol (not together, lol ) If that would be interesting? Let me know.**


	5. Chapter 5

Daryl leaned back, throwing another twig in to the glowing fire in front of him. It had been a long time since he had managed to get a fire burning this intensely, the large flickering flames dancing brightly before his eyes, symbolizing a hope of some sorts, something good.

There was a mood of almost contentment around the fire, everyone had eaten more than they had done in weeks, and they had a new shelter too. People in Rick's group were finally starting to relax a little. This place was for now at least as safe as anywhere could be.

Daryl's survival group were all huddled together under the clear night sky, along with a few members of the new group of survivors that had so far accommodated them at their camp. Daryl was sat next to Carol. He hadn't said much, settling for taking in the atmosphere, watching the fire and listening to everyone else talking around him.

Beth was sat a short distance away from him next to Maggie. They hadn't spoken since she had appeared around the fire with her older sister, but Daryl was very aware she was there, stealing small glances in her direction whenever he got the chance.

…

From where she was sat, Beth pulled her hooded sweater a little tighter around herself for comfort. She looked around at the shadowy figures surrounding her. It was good to see familiar faces again, her people she thought, her eyes instinctively brushing with Daryl's as she spotted him sat quietly opposite her next to Carol, causing a small flutter to rush through her. He'd not said much yet, but Beth had seen the way he had looked at her when she had arrived with Maggie and Glenn earlier. She knew he wanted to talk to her some more.

Daryl couldn't help but look away as Beth's eyes met his. He wasn't quite sure why it made him feel so uncomfortable. But the old feelings he'd started to experience when they had been surviving alone together were slowly starting to creep back now that he was around her again. The strange sensation of excitement when he thought about getting close to her, followed by the slight anxiety when she looked at him a certain way, opening up the very real possibility that she felt something similar too. He had missed her so much, longed to have her back. Now that she finally was back, he knew he was going to have to man up, he'd changed, they both had, their friendship and closeness had been unexpected, but it was undoubtedly one of the best things to ever happen to him and he didn't want it to just fade away now that it was no longer just the two of them. But he was painfully aware that he was no good at this kind of thing either.

Beth looked back at the fire in front of her again as Daryl looked away, his presence was stirring something in her. He'd cleaned up a bit since their earlier conversation, he looked like he'd had a shave and changed his clothes. Although he'd aged, gained a few more scars, he'd never looked so handsome to her.

She wrapped her arms around her knees, unsure what to say, biting her lower lip, tucking a strand of her silky blonde hair behind her ear. Out of the corner of her eye she suddenly saw another familiar handsome male figure walking towards her.

"You mind if I squeeze in there, blondie?" Ryan said with a flirty grin at Beth, sitting down next to her, the fabric of his shirt brushing her arm. He smelt good. Beth still couldn't quite work out how he managed to get hold of cologne with the world the way it was. He took a bottle out of his shirt pocket and drank, offering it to her when he was done.

Beth shook her head, "No thanks."

Unfazed he put the bottle back in to his shirt. "See you've moved your stuff out on to the sofa," he said, looking at her intently. His piercing green eyes fixed on hers.

"Yeah, Maggie and Glenn are having my room for now," Beth replied innocently.

"Well, you could always share my bed," Ryan added playfully, grinning some more.

Beth didn't say anything, settling for raising her eyebrows in pretend annoyance as she looked away from her good-looking friend, feeling her cheeks redden, and she couldn't help but smile slightly. The world was falling apart all around them but somehow he still always managed to make her smile.

"Suit yourself, but plenty of chicks would love to be in your position," he said with an arrogant smirk.

Beth shifted slightly awkwardly aware people were looking at them, Daryl was looking at them. Normally she enjoyed the banter with Ryan, but right now his flirting was making her feel a tad uncomfortable. It wasn't unusual for them to sit around outside together after dark, alone or with some of their other friends, chatting and laughing, it was what kept them going most days, but tonight was different.

"Whatever you say," she eventually responded to Ryan, looking away and down at the ground, before raising her head slightly just enough to catch Daryl's eye straight on again, just for a second, before they both looked away and pretended it hadn't happened. But it was enough to tell Beth that Daryl had been taking in her conversation with Ryan. She wondered what he had made of it. Part of her knew it didn't matter, but part of her also didn't want Daryl to think that Ryan was her boyfriend. Which confused her, Daryl might be fond of her, but she didn't think he thought of her like that, it wouldn't matter to him whether she had a boyfriend or not, would it?

...

Daryl could feel his face burning slightly as he moved his eyes away from the young blonde girl in front of him. Beth was a beautiful girl, she'd had boyfriends before in the time he had known her and plenty of other male interest too. He hadn't really paid it that much attention, apart from feeling possibly a little protective. But now seeing her with this guy, after everything he and Beth had been through together, it was hitting him in a whole new way. Ryan was older than Beth's other boyfriends, he was strong, he could handle himself, he was a man. Daryl knew that Ryan had saved Beth, he had looked after her, but despite that there was still something about him that irritated Daryl, it wasn't that he was clearly very headstrong and determined, it was more that he was just too full of himself and egotistical, and Daryl could tell that Rick wasn't too keen on him either.

Taking a sip of his drink Daryl looked to his side where Rick and Carol were busy talking, trying to catch their conversation instead, drowning out the noise coming from Beth's side of the fire. Looking back quickly one last time to see Ryan leaning in to say something else to both Beth and Maggie this time, Daryl didn't catch what it was but Beth blushed and Maggie broke in to huge ripple of laughter. Daryl didn't think he'd ever seen Maggie laugh that loud. It caught the attention of Rick and Carol too as they stopped talking and looked over for a moment, amused; it was very rare to see people actually having fun these days. But before anyone could say anything else, another attractive blonde woman appeared. She looked kind of familiar, tall with lightly sun kissed skin and large hazel green eyes. Daryl could see she had caused all conversation around the fire to grind to a halt, she had caught everyone's attention, it was unusual to see someone so stunning these days. She looked in the direction, Daryl, Rick and Carol were sat flashing them a warm smile, before turning to where Ryan was sat with Beth.

"Ryan, Jack wants to see you," she said.

"Tell him I'll be there in a minute, sis," Ryan replied.

"He said now," she responded, urgency in her voice.

"Okay," Ryan said instantly, this time standing up straight away, before they both walked off without saying another word.

…..

With Ryan as well as several other people now gone, the group around the fire seemed to be down to smaller numbers. Rick shifted slightly closer to where Beth was sat with Maggie and Glenn. He pressed his lips together and swallowed as he looked at Beth, clearing his throat." So, Beth, you never really said what happened to you, where you went and how you came to be here, with these good people?" He questioned seriously.

Daryl looked up immediately from where he had been face down again, chewing on his last few mouthfuls of food. He had wanted to ask Beth that exact same question, but unlike Rick he hadn't been able to find the right words yet.

Beth felt her face flush, sensing all eyes on her again. She was never good at being the centre of attention as she gulped and stammered, "I err…I, well, I don't really remember much. One minute I was out on the road fighting a walker, after…" she paused, looking at Daryl as he just looked back at her nodding slowly, neither of them had to say anything as they shared the memory of their last night together.

"Go on," Rick said gently, he could tell this was difficult for Hershel Greene's youngest daughter. But he also knew they all needed to know what had happened to her. Because right now it was still a mystery.

"Then, the next thing I remember, I woke up in some kind of hospital," Beth continued, her voice trembling.

"A hospital," Maggie exclaimed in surprise.

"Yeah, but it weren't a good place, bad stuff happened there, that's where I was when Ryan and the others found me, they were looking for someone else," Beth explained.

"But you must have been miles out of the city, how did you get there?" Rick cut in, a confused look on his face.

There was a brief silence, before Daryl spoke up for the first time, "There was a car, a black car with a white cross," he said in a low voice. This was the first time he had spoken about that night since they had all been trapped in terminus and he had briefly explained what had happened to Maggie.

"A black car with a white cross?" Carol suddenly questioned excitedly, looking as though a light had just been switched on in her head.

"Yeah, why?" Daryl said confused, turning to look at his friend.

"I saw a car that fitted that description too, the night we first arrived at the church, the night I went off on my own for a while. I thought it was odd, but it was going so fast I had no idea what it was doing. I came straight back to tell you all, but everyone was so distracted with Bob being taken and finding Gareth, that…" Carol responded, her voice speeding up as she clutched her hand to her chest looking visibly shaken. If she'd only known that the car she had seen that night had been a clue to finding Beth, she would have made sure she'd told them all straight away. Carol had only ever been aware that Beth had still been missing after the fall of prison as she hadn't been at terminus with any of the others, she'd never discussed what had happened with Daryl. He'd never mentioned it.

"It's okay, you weren't to know," Rick said in a kind voice, turning to Carol as he placed his hand on her arm.

"No," Beth firmly agreed, looking at Carol's visible distress. None of this was anyone's fault, not Carols, Rick's, Daryl's, not even her own she had finally accepted.

"Well, none of that matters now anyway, right? Beth's okay and we're all here, so I say everything has worked out just as it's supposed to," Maggie suddenly said smiling, looking around the fire as one by one everyone slowly nodded in agreement.

Everyone except Daryl, who was still sat in shock from Carol's reveal. If only he'd been there at the same time as Carol that night. _H__e would have seen the car too…He would have been able to do something..He could have found Beth himself._

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><p><strong>an – Thanks for the lovely reviews, they are very much appreciated. **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N - Sorry for the delay in updating this story. I have had a slight case of writers block and trying to stay true to the characters, but am back on track with it now. I am going to continue updating until TWD returns. As always any ideas and suggestions are most welcome :)**

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><p>Beth felt her stomach flip with a sudden rush of anxiety as she watched her group's leader Jack approaching the spot where she was still sat relaxing around the fire with Rick, Daryl and a few other members of her old group of survivors. Jack was followed by Beth's closest friend in her new group, Ryan, along with his sister Isobel and some of the other people involved in running their place so efficiently, keeping it a safe zone.<p>

Scanning them, Beth noted they all looked deadly serious. Beth knew they were good people, but they were also with good reason extremely wary of other survivors. They had rules about keeping the majority of new people out. Now, despite her close connections to the old prison group, Beth really had no idea if this would be any different and they would be accepted here for much longer, a place where they could get safety, food and shelter. From the first look of Rick and the others, they could easily be seen to be trouble, and although they had been welcomed so far, Beth knew their long term presence wouldn't sit well with some of her new family.

Rick nodded his head in a friendly manner, as Jack and the others walked across to greet him, "I must say, Rick, your survival skills are admirable. It's pretty something to have made it out there for so long," Jack said politely and calmly, stopping directly in front of the former sheriff.

Daryl was stood quietly beside Rick, watching the scene unfold between the two leaders. Knowing whatever happened, first and foremost he had Rick's back, his leader, his friend, his brother.

"Man's got to do, what a man's go to do," Rick replied equally as calmly from where he was stood in front of Jack and an unspoken look was exchanged between the two men. Both aware, to have kept their people alive this long, took courage, as well as a willingness to partake in the darker side of life.

Jack remained silent, just nodding to himself, thinking. Beth felt her insides knot with nerves, she couldn't face the thought of her people leaving just when she had found them again, But she also knew she couldn't just up and leave behind the people that had taken her in, when not so long ago she'd had nothing.

"Well, I think we're on the same page there," Jack eventually responded carefully, still locking eyes with Rick.

"Pretty impressive set up you have here, a real community," Rick said, his voice remaining calm as he held Jack's gaze.

"We've worked hard to keep it that way," Jack replied.

"What's say we join you for a while, offer you some more protection," Rick suggested boldly, "People need people to survive; you know that… it could work. We could more than contribute in other ways too. You want to ask me how many walkers we've killed? How many..."

"Ain't necessary," Jack cut in, "See, the thing is we have a few rules of our own here."

Beth glanced back at Ryan, his arms were folded defensively and he was looking down at the ground shaking his head, before looking back at up and staring coldly across at Rick. As fond as Beth was of Ryan, she knew how stubborn he was, how strongly he would fight to look out for the people he cared about and he didn't trust easily.

"We don't normally take in new people, but we can make exceptions, however any person caught not to be contributing or causing conflict of any kind, would no longer be welcome," Jack said nodding slowly.

"Oh come on, man," Ryan abruptly cut in, causing Rick, Daryl and the rest of Beth's old group to turn and look in her new friend's direction as he said. "They can't stay here, we don't take strangers, those are the rules. We look after our own."

"They aint strangers," Beth suddenly spoke up, adding, "They're my people."

Ryan turned to look at Beth, "Your people? Well hate to break it to you, blondie, but where were your people when you needed them? Where were they when you were locked up in that hellhole hospital with god dam rapists and psychos? Huh, they weren't so quick to be your people then?" he exclaimed, his face flushing with anger.

Daryl had been composed up until this point, but hearing Beth's new man saying those words had more than hit a nerve with him. Screwing his face up angrily, feeling his entire body flood with rage, fists clenched he lunged forwards, full of adrenaline and testosterone. No-one was ever going to accuse him of leaving Beth. He had done everything he possibly could to find her back when she had first been taken. She meant more to him than any of them could ever realize.

"No so fast", Rick hissed, holding Daryl back. The moment diffusing, Daryl realizing nobody could possibly make him feel any worse than he already did now for what had happened to the sweet and vulnerable blonde girl he had been protecting after the prison fell. As much as he despised the smug arrogant guy she was with now, he had to admit he would be forever grateful to him for getting Beth back. He wished things had been different and it had been him that had come to her rescue, but the fact that she was alive and well was all that really mattered. Right now he had to keep it together for the rest of his group, if nothing else. They'd been on the road for months, this place was like a goldmine and could be their only shot.

...

Unsure where to look, her heart racing, Beth glanced in Ryan's direction for a split second noting the passion in his eyes. She'd had no idea he'd felt so strongly about her people not coming for her at the hospital, in her eyes they hadn't and wouldn't ever abandon her, but they would have had no logical way of knowing where she was, Ryan clearly didn't see it like that though. She had never asked him the full story but she had known that he had risked everything to launch a rescue mission for another girl that had previously been held under Dawn at the hospital, when he had found Beth instead.

Beth was also taken aback at the depth of Daryl's feelings as well as she looked towards her old friend and secret crush, she knew he had never been great at hiding his emotions, and from his reaction and passionate outburst in response to Ryan's remarks, he was still deeply cut up that he hadn't been able to find her after she was taken.

Jack shifted his focus to his right hand man, "Let's just listen to what they have to say, before coming to any conclusions," he said firmly to Ryan. Beth relaxed slightly. She knew Jack could think quickly, as well as analyze crisis situations, that was why he had been able to lead them so well here, intentionally repressing fear and anxiety to remain strong for other people.

Daryl retreated back to stand quietly beside Rick again. He didn't care for Ryan, but Jack on the other hand was hard to read; on the surface he seemed like a decent guy, it was clear he was a natural leader, like Rick. But he appeared to be a little more composed, less head strong than Rick could be.

"If you let us stay, we can more than contribute," Rick said again, turning the focus back to his earlier conversation with Jack, an uncomfortable silence following, Jack looking Rick firmly in the eye some more as he seemed to be debating something internally, "We can join forces, we can make it work, we can help you protect this place." Rick continued to negotiate slowly, holding his hands up.

Beth felt her stomach churn with even more anxiety; she could feel how tense Ryan was beside Jack still, he wasn't going to drop this. She had also noticed the look on both Rick and Daryl's faces. She could tell Rick trusted his instinct and had decided that joining Jack's group, for now at least, would be a good call. But Beth also knew the groups reluctance to risk taking in strangers, herself being an exception thanks only to Ryan.

"Okay, you can stay for now, but things need to be discussed, I am in charge around here and that is non-negotiable," Jack finally said slowly.

"You have got to be kidding, we're struggling to feed our own without taking on more," Ryan piped up angrily.

"Ryan," Beth pleaded looking directly at him.

"Your sister….." he started.

"Maggie," Beth's older sibling cut in, interrupting the super confident younger guy midway through his sentence.

"…and her guy get to stay, but that's it." Ryan continued loudly, raising his eyebrows.

"You got some kind of problem with us?" Rick said, his attention fully shifted on to Ryan now.

"Got some kind of problem with freeloaders," Ryan said even more loudly, squaring up to Rick a little.

"Yeah, well I got some kind of problem with having my people accused of being freeloaders," Rick responded, the glint in his eye showing he meant business.

"Oh yeah, well I got some kind of problem with assholes," Ryan said moving even closer to Rick.

"Yeah, well as far as I can see there is only one asshole around here," Rick replied, pointing his finger at Ryan.

Beth suddenly felt very uneasy, thinking this really wasn't going to end well. She knew both men and what they were capable of when provoked. How passionate they both were when it came to looking out for the best interests of their people.

Everything then seemed to happen in slow motion, one minute the two men were glaring at each other, the next thing Ryan was charging in Rick's direction striking him with his bare fist, Rick quick to respond with the next punch, Daryl then jumping inbetween them both bearing the brunt of Ryan's raised fist as it came crashing down again this time on to the side of Daryl's face. Causing Rick to launch at Ryan, punching him to the ground, Daryl and Jack both responding quickly pulling the former sheriff off the younger man before things turned really nasty.

Beth watched in horror, her hand flying up to her mouth in shock, taking in the bloodied faces of the three men before her. Before chaos unfolded, Ryan being led away and back to the building he shared with Beth, whilst Rick and Daryl remained outside by the fire, surrounded by the few remaining members of the prison group still up to witness the fight.

…

"You better go and see to Ryan," Isobel said, quickly appearing with a pile of medical supplies handing some to Beth.

"Oh-okay-sure," Beth stammered in response, still a little shaken up, watching as Ryan's beautiful blonde sister strutted over to tend to Rick. Beth almost allowing herself to breath out a small sigh of relief, taking Isobel's gesture as a sign that despite Ryan's attitude Rick and the others had been accepted here. Still glued to the spot, Beth watched some more as Isobel said something to Beth's former leader and he turned to follow her in to another building.

About to move, Beth swallowed anxiously, glancing around to see out of the corner of her eye Daryl was sitting alone on a step in the distance. Her heart sank a little as she saw blood pouring down his face. Biting her lower lip, digging her nails in to her palm, she turned to make her way over to where he was sat.

...

"Shouldn't you be seeing to your boyfriend?" Daryl said a little gruffly, his eyes glancing up briefly for a moment of fleeting eye contact with the young blonde as she approached him, before he looked away again.

Beth clutched the damp cloth Isobel had handed her moments before tightly in her hand, kneeling down on the ground next to him. "He aint my boyfriend," she said hesitantly, her cheeks flushing pink. Thinking how Ryan was more than capable of patching himself up anyway.

Glancing back at him Beth was sure just for a brief second, she detected a kind of faint smile play across the aloof archer's face, before he pressed his lips together firmly in a straight line and looked away again moodily.

She wondered why Daryl seemed so bothered about her relationship status with Ryan, thinking he was probably just being over protective, more so than he had been back at the prison, due to the newly formed bond between them, established when they had been alone together. Despite his occasional moodiness, Daryl cared about her and he wanted to look out for her, that much was very apparent to Beth.

She leaned over, gently pressing the cold damp cloth to his bloody wound. He didn't object as she proceeded to work in silence, carefully wiping away the blood from his face. Her touch instantly calming Daryl, providing him with a strange sense of comfort, no-one had ever treated his wounds so tenderly like this before and there had been some far nastier incidents in his life than the grapple with Ryan and Rick earlier. Beth was tending to him with such concern and care, he would have hated to admit it, but it made him feel warm inside as he allowed her to continue cleaning up the side of his forehead with her soft delicate fingers.

"It looks worse than it is, it's just a superficial wound you won't need stitches," Beth said softly, concentration etched on her face, removing the bloodied cloth, reaching for a towel to gently pat it dry. Remembering how she had recently been taught to treat head wounds.

"Since when did you become Florence Nightingale?" Daryl quipped back sarcastically, trying to counteract the sensation of slight embarrassment hitting him, needing to have a girl take care of him like this.

"Oh, I –I, had some training," Beth mumbled back flustered, sweeping her hair away from her eye.

Daryl didn't push it further, settling instead for watching her intently as she removed the wrapper on a small white dressing, his eyes curious and confused. When he had last seen her she was still so vulnerable, just a young girl, here now despite only months passing, she looked and acted at least five years older, she was more confident, stronger, like a woman. He wondered just what exactly had happened to her at the hospital.

Beth lightly placed the dressing down on to the side of Daryl's head, brushing aside his long dark hair as she stuck the far corners down on his hot skin, causing Daryl again to take a small thrill at her touch as she pressed gently on his sensitive spots, causing him to wince a little.

"Sorry," Beth muttered, her bright blue eyes meeting his straight on, she hadn't meant to hurt him. Without saying anything Daryl looked back at her and just from his look Beth could tell she hadn't caused him any pain, he might not have done a great job at vocalising it, but he was grateful she'd come to him and he was happy that she cared.

"There you go, should be okay in a couple of days," Beth said finishing off, before turning to sink down on to the step next to him. Thinking how now that she was done, she really ought to leave him alone, it was getting late. But there was just something drawing her to the moment.

Daryl seemed in no rush to move either as he remained sat on the step, drinking in the cool night air, he wasn't used to it. It was so peaceful, so calm.

Beth wrapped her arms around her knees, hugging them to her chest, drawing in a deep breath as she said, "The sky is so pretty at this time of night, don't ya think? You can see every star in the sky."

Daryl didn't respond at first, moments like this being out of his comfort zone, there had been no time for mindless star gazing over the course of his life. But he had to admit, looking upwards at the dazzling balls of light filling the night sky, she was right there was something magical in it. "I guess," he eventually mumbled.

A silence followed, before Beth slowly found herself edging a little closer to her ruggedly handsome friend so that their legs were almost touching, before eventually finding herself nestling her head on to his strong muscular shoulder too.

They stayed like that for a while, and it felt almost as it had when it had just been the two of them alone together after the prison. Daryl stiffening up a little awkwardly at first, he wasn't good with physical contact and displays of affection, before he slowly relaxed, enjoying the feel of her soft warm body connecting with his, and unable to stop himself he found his arm loosely draping itself around the small of her back in a way he wasn't entirely used to.

"I'm glad you're here," Beth said a little dreamily, "It's better now you're here," pausing, before saying, "I've really missed you, Daryl Dixon."

Daryl wanted to respond, to tell her he had missed her too, that he had never felt such an intense rush of happiness as he had earlier that morning when he'd first seen her face again. But instead again all he could do was turn his head and look at her. Beth blinked, her clear blue eyes shimmering, looking back at him. His eyes were so expressive so full of emotion, he didn't have to say anything she knew he felt the same.

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><p><strong>AN - Thanks for reading. Hope you liked this chapter. So, Ryan might seem like the bad guy at the moment, but, he is about to redeem himself and Beth will be facing a dilemma coming up ;o I also have a sub plot planned for Rick.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N - Thanks SO much for the amazing reviews. I am really glad people are enjoying my story. Okay a little warning, this chapter gets pretty intense towards the end. Hope that's okay with everyone, it wouldn't be the TWD without a little action, right?**

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><p>"The Archer is back," Ryan said as he strode in to the room.<p>

"Oh," was all Beth could mumble, looking up from where she had been lying on her front on the sofa, writing in her journal, her blonde ponytail falling over her face as an uneasy feeling hit her. A couple of days had passed since the incident with Ryan, Rick and Daryl, but there was still a slight atmosphere between her and the guy that had rescued her from the hospital months before, her friend. Beth could only put it down to her split loyalties. She cared for them all. Ryan would just have to accept that.

She looked across at him as he walked further in to their living space, dressed in a casual shirt and jeans he reached for a backpack, his right hand still bandaged from the fight with Rick. There was no denying he was gorgeous, distractingly gorgeous. Tall and very physically fit with dirty blonde hair and piercing green eyes. Up until recently Beth had taken a small thrill every time Ryan had walked in to the room. Part of her wondering whether one day they could be more than just good friends? If she could only bring herself to let go and allow herself to develop stronger feelings for him, she knew he would treat her right, they could be happy.

But now her old group were back, everything had changed. Ryan might be incredibly good-looking, but he knew it too, he carried himself with an air of confidence that could border on arrogance, Beth could see that now. He'd probably had females falling at his feet all his life. Somehow that character trait didn't seem too attractive to Beth anymore.

"I know you were looking for him earlier, after he drove off," Ryan continued, shovelling a bottle of water, compass and map in to his bag, his eyes down focused on what he was doing, rather than looking over at Beth. "So, I thought you'd want to know he and the sheriff are back now. They had to shout in for the code to the gate." He added smugly.

Beth set her journal down and sat up, her cheeks going slightly pink. She had gone across to speak to Daryl earlier that morning. When she couldn't find him, Carl had told her he had gone out with Rick and some of the others. Beth presumed it was to hunt for supplies. But she hadn't seen him to ask.

"Where ya going?" she said, her eyes fixed on Ryan, as much as his recent behaviour infuriated her she didn't want to lose him as a friend. She had seen firsthand on many occasions, despite how he could come across as a jackass and liked to play the tough guy what a good person Ryan actually was, how many lives he had saved. He was invaluable to her new group.

"Going out with some of the guys to check on some tracks we laid, don't know when I'll be back," he said gruffly, turning to walk out the room.

…...

"I brought you some coffee, it's only long lasting instant," Beth said smiling as she approached Daryl's place, noticing the wound on his head was healing nicely as he opened the door to her, clumsily pulling his shirt down indicating he had been in the middle of getting changed. He'd been coming and going in the few days he and the others had settled at her camp and Beth hadn't seen much of him since the night of the fight.

"Um…thanks," he muttered in response. Looking up as the inviting smell of coffee hit him, his eyes coming to rest on the beautiful young woman in front of him, as he reached out to take the hot drink from her. He'd never been a big coffee drinker, but he'd take it now. Anything had to beat badly filtered lukewarm water.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" Beth said shyly after an uncomfortable pause.

"Sure, come in," he said, holding the door open to her. He couldn't help it; he checked her out as she crossed the threshold and entered the small house he had been sharing with Rick and Carol. Beth was wearing a simple white t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans that really hugged her hips and behind, a behind that Daryl was almost caught staring at when Beth turned around to face him. She flashed a cute smile his way, trying to break though the awkwardness of being alone together again after their recent display of innocent affection the night she had patched him up after the fight.

"You been out?" she said politely.

"Yeah – yeah," he stammered trying to get his thoughts back to his recent trip, "Just went to stake out some places for supplies. "Didn't find much though…still getting to grips with the area," he said pausing to look at her, she was casually leaning back against the side watching him. In the days when the old group had all been together back at the prison camp, exchanges like this between him and Beth would have been unthinkable.

Beth didn't say anything at first; she wasn't quite sure why she was bothered, why she felt a tad hurt that the group didn't ask her to accompany them on their trips. She knew Maggie went sometimes and Carol too. But they obviously thought she was too weak, too much trouble.

"You okay?" Daryl said snapping her out of whatever deep thought she'd been trapped in.

She looked over at him, not entirely pleased, "Y'know I could have come along too," she said folding her arms loosely. "It's not like the prison here, I don't just sit around and babysit now. I'm useful in other ways too. I can take care of myself out there; I've killed walkers, lot's of em... I don't need anyone to take care of me, I aint a burden no more," she exclaimed, a depth of passion in her voice. Dawn had said to her once that in this life now, Beth would either end up dead or be a burden to someone. Beth knew that was bullshit and she had vowed every single day since to prove Dawn wrong; she would never be a burden to anyone again.

Daryl watched her listening, but Beth was done she didn't want to say anymore. Afraid her outburst would turn in to an even more embarrassing display of emotion if she continued.

"I know," Daryl said nodding slowly, the sincerity in his voice making Beth believe he wasn't just saying it to be kind.

Daryl knew Beth was tougher than she looked, but the thought of her out there now with the world the way it was terrified him. He'd seen first hand how she could take out walkers, but walkers weren't the main threat anymore. Beth was a rare innocent beauty with her light blonde hair, big blue eyes and doll like features, and that was an extremely dangerous thing in the world these days. He shuddered when he thought about what could have happened to her had she been with him when he had stumbled across the claimed crew. He knew he would have died to protect her back then, now being no different either. But Daryl also knew he wouldn't always be able to protect her, and for that reason alone he'd prefer to think of her safely back in a walled community rather than out in the bleak unknown on the road.

…...

"Coffee? You must be parched after your trip," Isobel said smiling, walking up to join Rick where he was sat on a step playing with baby Judith. Upon seeing the attractive blonde Rick carefully put his daughter down, watching as she toddled off to see her brother Carl who was stood nearby.

"Umm..sure," Rick stammered, taken aback, glancing from the steaming drink in her hand to her face. He'd be lying if he had said she hadn't caught his eye before, she was hot, damn hot.

"It is real, I promise, but it's only instant and black," she continued, in response to Rick's slightly shocked face.

"Uh-okay, well, instant and black is good to me, ain't seen no starbucks around here for a while," he said with a shy grin, taking the cup from her.

Putting it to his lips he sipped slowly, "Never knew coffee could taste so good," he said raising his eyebrows. Gone were the days of popping out for double caramel lattes whilst out on the job back when he'd been a cop, back when the world hadn't gone to shit.

He reached down to see his baby daughter had made her way back over to him, putting his drink down he scooped her up and in to his arms.

"She's beautiful, looks just like you, she has your eyes," Isobel said kindly, holding her finger out to gently touch the little girl, causing Judith to smile back at her in return.

"Hey, Dad, look it's a dog," Carl suddenly said excitedly from where he'd been stood to the side of them, causing both Rick and Isobel to turn and see a large stray dog was stood staring back at them intensely from the other side of the fence. Two soft chocolate brown eyes, fixed intently on Carl from under a shaggy mop of dark fur. Carl grinned and slowly put his hand out to touch the animal's face.

"Not so fast," Isobel said quickly a look of panic spreading across her face.

"It's okay, he's friendly," Carl said, looking up, "Can we let him in?...Please," he said, looking across and pleading with Rick, adding, "He looks starving."

"I – uh, don't think that's such a good idea, son," Rick said, unsure of exactly how to respond, looking at the desperate look on his boy's face. It had been a long time since they had seen a dog and he knew how much Carl missed Tom their old pet family dog. But Rick also knew as harmless as it seemed, this dog was far from being a family pet.

"Stay away from it," Isobel said again, more urgently this time. "We can't let it in, these are wild animals they may have been domestic pets once but not any more. Out here they are pack animals now, nothing more than feral beasts and very unpredictable." She added firmly.

"You heard the lady," Rick said, his tone meaning business.

Carl didn't say anything more, just withdrew his hand from the dog, looking away sulkily. Rick hated to disappoint his boy, but he knew Isobel was right. "Listen, why don't you take Judith and go and find Beth," Rick said in a calmer voice. Watching as his son reluctantly led his younger sister away by the hand.

"You have two really great kids there, you must be very proud," Isobel said to Rick as they both sat watching them still.

"Thanks, they are pretty amazing," Rick replied proudly, turning his gaze back to the women before him. She opened her mouth to say something further, but all he could focus on was her face, he found himself mesmerised as he gazed at Isobel's perfect symmetrical features looking back at him. It had been a while since anyone had paid him this much attention and not since Lori had he looked at a woman in this way. As much as he wanted to stay true to his late wife's memory, Rick couldn't deny his carnal urges. Isobel's image was near on perfect, she was dressed in jeans and a tight black top showing off her impressive cleavage, her golden blonde hair was wrapped up on top of her head and her wide dreamy come to bed eyes, with flecks of green and hazel were connecting fully with his, her lips full and glossy looked more than ready to whisper a multitude of erotic thoughts to him.

"You okay? You were miles away," he heard her say looking intently at him.

"Umm..yeah, sorry you were saying?" He replied, his cheeks flushing, slightly embarrassed that she had had him so distracted and a strange sensation came over him. There was something about her face, her eyes in particular that really got under his skin, like she had him under a spell.

"I was just asking if Jack had given you the code to the gate yet?" she repeated with a reassuring smile.

"Nah, nah, not yet," Rick replied.

"Oh, well he will soon. He likes you, I can tell, you'll win his trust in no time," she responded her face warming.

Rick opened his mouth to say something further, moving a little closer to her and setting his coffee cup down on the step. When all of a sudden they were interrupted by what sounded like a piercing child's scream, followed by frantic yelling.

"Carl," Rick said urgently, switching instantly in to survival mode, leaping up and racing to follow the screams, followed closely by Isobel.

"I'm sorry, Dad, I didn't realize," Carl said as they found him, tears streaming down his cheeks, his face full of panic. Rick eyes swept over to where Beth was leant down cradling a bloodied Judith on the ground, then to his horror just to the side of her he saw the large lifeless body of a fierce looking straggly dog with an arrow straight through it's head….

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><p><strong>AN – Sorry for the major cliff-hanger, next chapter up very soon! **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N - Thanks again for the reviews, you guys Rock! I don't know how I found time to update, but I really wanted to before the holidays. **

**A few people have asked about my OC. This is the first time I have written OC in fanfiction, so I hope they are okay, any feedback would be appreciated. Just for some more background.**

**_Ryan - Is in his late 20's. He is tall, muscular with dark blonde/light brown hair, green eyes and very handsome. Don't have an exact celeb in mind at the moment. Maybe Jamie Dornan._**

**_Isobel- Ryan's sister a few years older than Ryan. Tall, blonde with hazel/green eyes very strikingly beautiful, think Charlize Theron or Katherine Heigl._**

**_Jack - Late 30's. Dark cropped hair, handsome, think Matthew Fox._**

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><p>Beth looked around with blurry vision, barely able to process the scene unfolding before her eyes, trying to wrap her head around what had just happened. One minute she had been casually chatting to Daryl, the next she had heard a dog growling and baby Judith screaming. Daryl had acted so fast. Seemingly in one swift movement he had picked up his crossbow fired it and shot the beast clean through the head, causing it to topple backwards and away from Judith.<p>

Feeling a surge of panic building in her chest, Beth cradled the small injured child tightly in her arms, blood oozing out of a deep wound on the little girl's face, seeping on to Beth's t-shirt causing a bright red patch to spread across the white fabric. "Isobel, you gotta do something, she's been bit, you gotta…now..she aint breathing, she…" Beth said, stumbling on the words as they fell out of her mouth so quickly, her eyes looking up and flitting from Isobel to Rick to Daryl. Her breathing slowing down slightly with the relief of seeing Rick and the older blonde woman. Maybe Judith would be okay, now they were here.

"Judith, Judith..." Rick yelled, prizing her out of Beth's arms, scooping his injured child up and in to his own arms, fear set deeply in his pale blue eyes as they welled with tears of panic.

"Quick, we got to take her inside," Isobel said loudly, hurriedly assessing the situation, Beth nodding in agreement.

"We got to do something, she's bleeding, we need help. Help!," Rick yelled even louder, looking around in complete dismay, feeling utterly helpless and unable to do anything for his young daughter, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead as he noticed a small crowd forming around them alerted by the noise.

"Let me look at her, Rick. We need to get her inside," Isobel said again calmly, placing her hand on his arm, ushering them over to the small building that Rick and Daryl were currently staying in.

Turning to look back at Beth, taking a more frantic tone, she said, "Ryan, where is Ryan?"

Beth bit down on her lip anxiously, "I, err..dunno, he went out," she stammered.

"Where?...Think, Beth, where did he go? Because we're going to need him," Isobel snapped back at Beth her voice full of panic now.

Beth swallowed, twisting her hands together, thinking back to her earlier conversation with Ryan, "He said he was going hunting or something," she said shakily, her heart pounding, her eyes moving from Isobel's searching face to poor baby Judith.

Feeling a lump forming in her throat, Beth suddenly felt a warm gentle hand touch her bare forearm, turning to see Daryl flash her a reassuring and comforting look, instantly calming her.

"Did he say where?" Isobel said to Beth again, as they all urgently entered the house. Beth and Daryl closely following Rick and Isobel as they rushed in to the bedroom. Rick gently laying Judith down on to the double bed that he had been sharing with his two children the past few nights.

"Umm….no, I don't think so," Beth responded, desperately trying to remember what Ryan had said to her earlier, she had been so distracted she hadn't paid that much attention.

Isobel didn't quiz her further. Instead tucking a strand of her golden blonde hair behind her ear, her striking green eyes continued examining the injured young toddler, leaning over her deep in concentration.

_Come on, Isobel, come on, do something'_, Beth silently willed from where she was stood hand to mouth in the entrance to the room watching her friend trying to help Judith. Daryl still by her side, both watching in horror as the little girl struggled more and more to breath.

"She's through there," a male voice suddenly said. Loud footsteps approaching as everyone turned to see Jack and Ryan rushing in to the room.

"Out the way," Ryan shouted, pushing past Beth and Daryl violently.

Stepping back and out of the way, Beth had never seen her friend looking so deadly serious as he rushed to the wounded child, and she had seen him under pressure many times. At the sight of her brother, Isobel's face instantly relaxed, whilst Daryl's eyes narrowed suspiciously and Rick's filled with anger.

"Out the way," Ryan repeated, this time pushing Rick to one side firmly with his hand.

"What the hell," Rick said raising his voice, glaring at the younger man, squaring up to him.

"Let him in," Jack said, holding Rick back.

"He can help her, Rick," Isobel reassured, resting her eyes on the troubled face of the man she had found herself kind of flirting with earlier that day.

"What happened?" Ryan said washing his hands quickly in a bowl of water to the side of the bed.

"Attacked by a savage dog, it was put down quickly, she's still breathing but losing consciousness, I think she may have a punctured lung and her left eye has been mauled," Isobel reeled off, adding, "I've not done anything yet."

"Okay, listen, Iz, I'm going to need you to go as fast as you can to the locked cabinet in the medical building, get me a shot of antibiotic prophylaxis, a suture kit, iodine, pure alcohol and antiseptic wipes and get everyone out," Ryan said addressing his sister calmly, "Except Beth," he added, glancing back to see the younger blonde woman stood behind his sister.

Beth walked across to where he was stood over Judith, "Okay, Beth, I'm going to need you to hold her very still, just like I showed you, remember?" Ryan ordered slowly. Beth just nodded her pulse racing some more.

Taking a deep breath, looking down at the face of the little princess she had practically raised since birth, Beth breathed a silent sight of relief, she knew Judith wasn't out of the woods yet, but she also knew if anyone could save her, it was Ryan.

"Okay, I think I managed to get everything you asked for," Isobel said, quickly returning in to the room her arms full, handing her brother a stethoscope.

Beth looked on in awe at how calmly they both worked under these circumstances as Ryan listened for Judith's heartbeat, a tense silence filling the room. Before he said, "What the hell was a feral dog doing in here anyway?"

"Carl let it in?" Isobel replied.

"Who the hell is Carl?" Ryan said, nodding to himself as he removed the stethoscope.

….

"Get him out," Rick said charging for the closed door to the room his baby daughter was in.

"No, stay back," Jack said, catching Daryl's eye exchanging a knowing look.

"He's right, man," Daryl said, assisting the leader of their new camp as they forcefully led the troubled sheriff over to the old battered sofas in the corner of the room.

Daryl wasn't quite sure what was going on but he knew from the look on Beth's face, that Ryan meant business. That he could be Judith's only shot. He didn't know the guy well enough to trust him. But he knew Beth and he trusted her with his life.

"Sit down," Jack said, his eyes boring in to Rick, until Rick reluctantly complied. "It might just be your lucky day," Jack added, cocking his head towards the closed bedroom door. "Ryan is a pediatric surgeon, was one of the most promising young doctors in the state. So just let him do his thing. Okay. Now, I'm going to give you guys some space, but know this, she is in the best hands," he finished, turning to walk out the door.

Rick's eyes widened, staring off in to space as he allowed himself to sit back in to the chair, winding his fingers deeply it to his tangled wavy hair, breathing out, his pupils fixed on an unknown object in front of him as he slowly breathed in and out. He was good under pressure, always had been, but this, this was a whole new ball game, this was his precious young child in the hands of a man who up until moments before he had detested, who had detested him. All Rick could do now was pray.

Daryl wasn't quite sure why he was surprised. He had known from the way Ryan had acted that he must have had some important job, the way people treated him around here, they looked up to him, respected him, Daryl had gathered he must be a big deal of some sorts. Ryan was in no way Daryl's favourite person, but he just had a feeling that Beth's new friend would come through for them now. He had to.

Reaching out his hand he loosely patted Rick on the shoulder. "It'll be okay, man," he said in a low voice. Daryl could feel his leader's pain radiating out of him, projecting back on to Daryl as they sat in silence. Usually Daryl wasn't good in these situations, but he knew on some level now he had to step up, stay strong. This was Judith, the lil asskicker, she might be Rick's flesh and blood, but in a weird way she was all of their baby, plus he hadn't forgotten what Rick had said to him the night they had met up again after the prison. They were brothers now.

After a while, with the two men still sat in tense silence, voices could be heard more clearly from the other side of the door. Causing both Rick and Daryl to sit up, alert. The door slowly opening, their eyes looking on expectantly as Beth walked through.

She didn't need to say anything, from the look in her eye Daryl knew it was going to be okay. The one thing he had learnt from Beth Greene in his time with her, was that she was unable to hide anything from him. She was a terrible liar and far too trusting, but that also meant that there was no bullshit with her.

Beth moved quickly as Rick leapt to his feet, his eyes searching the blonde girl's face desperately. "She's stable," Beth said breaking in to a small nervous smile, "She aint got a punctured lung and she's breathing okay, he doesn't think there are any internal injuries."

Rick brought both hands up to his face, palms together as he breathed in to them, "The eye?" he suddenly said, removing his hands, remembering that there had been a wound to her left eye.

Beth hesitated, and from where he was watching her Daryl suddenly felt his stomach drop as he anticipated what she was going to say next. She clasped her hands together, "He's cleaned it up, but the wound is deep and swollen, he thinks he might need to operate on it...to save it. He's just suturing up a wound on her thigh then he'll come out and talk to you."

The relieved look on Rick's face quickly faded back in to one of deep worry again. "It's going to be okay, Rick," Beth said, moving slightly further towards him, catching Daryl's eye for a split second as an unspoken look of mutual concern passed between them, before she turned back to Rick, "She's alive," Beth added in a soft reassuring voice.

"Here," Daryl said producing a bottle of water, handing it to Rick.

Rick pushed it away with his hand. Shaking his head again, looking around the room.

"Take it, Rick," Beth said firmly, snatching the bottle from Daryl and pressing it in to his palm, "You need to drink, Judith's relying on you."

Reluctantly Rick unscrewed the top, putting the bottle to his lips and swigging slowly. "Carl," he said in almost a whisper as he wiped his mouth, screwing the top back on the bottle.

"He's fine, he's with Michonne," Daryl responded, watching as Rick nodded, the same blank expressionless look appearing on his face again.

Beth bit her lip and slowly squeezed down on to the small sofa where Daryl was sat, her thigh and hip brushing in to his. He flinched, but didn't move at first, allowing Beth to feel a small shiver at the contact, before he awkwardly repositioned himself away from her a little. Turning to look at her, he mumbled, "You okay?"

Beth didn't say anything in response. Her eyes heating up, her lip trembling, she just looked away gently nodding, brushing her hair back and away from her face. She tried not to cry anymore, she didn't want to be seen as weak any longer, but there was something about the kindness and genuine concern for her in Daryl's dark blue eyes that made her want to drop her guard a little, he made her feel safe, like she mattered again, like it was okay to cry with him.

As much as she was trying to be strong, the trauma of almost losing the little girl Beth had loved as her own just as she had got her back again, was all too much for her and she found herself brushing a small tear away from the side of her face with the back of her hand. Hoping Daryl hadn't seen, she looked down at the ground. Before he then did something completely unexpected, slowly reaching for her hand, wrapping it in his comfortingly, loosely at first almost as though he was testing her reaction, before gripping it more tightly.

Beth found herself smiling inwardly from the comfort of his touch again, remembering how he never failed to surprize her. And they sat in silence, neither of them having to say a word, both feeling the other relaxing a little, they were there for each other. Judith was tough they knew that, she would pull through this, they all would.

After a while Daryl cleared his throat about to say something, but before he could he was interrupted, the door to the bedroom bursting open again, this time Ryan walking out, wiping his hands on a towel.

Instantly, Beth, Rick and Daryl were all on their feet. Just as the front door to the building opened too and Michonne, Carl, Carol, Maggie and Glenn burst in with Jack and a couple of other people from the new group.

It was Michonne that spoke first," How is she?"

"She's stable, I've done all I can for her for now," Ryan answered, meeting Rick's eye, his voice sounding different, more serious.

Rick held his gaze for a second, before reaching out his hand and offering it to the younger man. Slowly the two shook hands.

"I owe you," Rick said.

"Nah, you don't owe me anything, just doing what I can, man," Ryan said looking away.

"Her eye?" Rick questioned.

"She's resting now, but when she wakes I'll need to take her down to the medical wing, I'm going to need to operate on it," Ryan responded.

"But you can save it?" Rick questioned desperately.

"I'm hopeful and I'll do everything I can," Ryan replied.

Rick nodded, looking up to see Isobel had appeared next to her brother, she gestured for Rick to follow her, putting her finger up to her lips to silence him as they disappeared in to the room his young daughter was in.

From where she was stood, Beth turned to look at Ryan. He had both hands on the back of his head and he looked pained as he exhaled dramatically. His handsome chiselled features full of stress.

"Thanks," she said in a gentle voice as she looked at him.

Looking back at her, his eyes softened, and for once Ryan was lost for words, despite his confidence he looked genuinely moved. Before he quickly said, "I just need to go and check on a few things," turning to walk out the room.

"Wait," Beth said, following him, instinctively throwing her arms around his strong neck, burying her face in to his chest, causing him to let out a small sigh, bringing his hand up to touch the back of her hair.

Breaking apart, Beth suddenly felt a little embarrassed realizing they had an audience; the room was full of people. She smoothed down her hair and glanced around.

"Beth, can I see Judith too?" Carl said eagerly looking her way, snapping her back to reality.

Beth hesitated, "Sure," she said with a smile, reaching out her hand to take him in to the room his father and sister were in.

…..

Moments later, Judith still sleeping, Beth stepped back in to the main living room with Carl, Rick and Isobel. She noticed the room was still full of their friends all waiting to hear news of their little girl. As Rick approached them the buzz of the conservation grew louder, as they all rushed to group around him, offering support.

Beth stepped back quietly, her eyes scanning the room, in all the excitement she had forgotten about Daryl. But looking around she could see he wasn't there.

"You okay?" Maggie suddenly said appearing by her side.

"Daryl," Beth muttered flustered.

Maggie looked a little taken aback, as though she hadn't quite been expecting her younger sister to say that.

"He-uh-I think he took off a moment ago," Maggie replied.

"Oh," was all Beth could stammer back, confused by her feelings. Judith had nearly died and Ryan had saved her life, Rick had nearly lost it again and Beth had never felt so afraid. But the only thing that Beth wanted now was the gruff redneck, she had grown so unexpectedly close to…

**A/N - Thanks for reading, any reviews would be very much appreciated :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N - I can't believe the interest in this story so far! Over 100 followers. Thank you so much for the support and sorry for the delay in updating!Hope you like this chapter, it was really hard to write, but a little drama is good, right?**

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><p>Beth found Ryan in the kitchen leaning back against one of the worktops, his head was bowed slightly and he was pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.<p>

Tentatively she cleared her throat, alerting him to her presence, before she moved a little closer in his direction. She was aware that he was mentally preparing himself to operate on baby Judith, that the outcome of the operation could well determine whether the little girl kept her sight, or at the very least her eye. Ryan had briefly explained to Beth the day before that due to the swelling on her upper lid, it was impossible to assess the damage properly until it had gone down, that she would need to be put under a general anaesthetic before he could tell precisely what needed to be done, whether the laceration had effected the cornea and her sight and how badly. It was serious.

"You okay? You need anything?" Beth said, as she looked across at her friend, her eyes wide and alert.

"Nah, I'm good," he replied quietly.

Beth's eyes widened some more as she studied his face, this was out of character. He looked on edge, nervous even, and she had never seen him like this before. He was normally so composed, so super confident and unfazed by everything.

A brief silence fell as Ryan continued to be trapped in his thoughts, he might physically be stood in the kitchen with Beth, but mentally he was somewhere else entirely. He knew he had a lot of people counting on him to keep it together, to lead them and be the hero he always was, both before and after the outbreak. He had performed surgeries on kids all the time in his old life as a surgeon, even some in his new life. But on this occasion he felt full of nerves, despite his differences with her father there was something about this little girl that got to him, he couldn't screw it up, he just couldn't, she needed him and she was important to all of them.

"You can do this, Ryan," Beth said firmly, reading his mind.

He didn't answer at first just looked back at the pretty blonde girl he had grown so fond of since he had found her back in Atlanta at the Grady Hospital. Beth was different to other pretty girls he'd known, she was beautiful on the inside too, she was sweet and had real empathy as well as a sort of brightness to her that was so rare to find these days, he had sensed it the minute he had laid eyes on her.

"Can I?" He eventually responded a tad shakily, his eyes meeting hers.

Beth swallowed, waiting for him to come out with some funny sarcastic afterthought, but he didn't, he just looked at her. He had never been so open with her before, vulnerable even, he was normally such a smart ass, so strong and sure of himself. "Yes, you can," she replied boldly, "I've seen the things you can do, you saved those kids that got smashed up in their car and you saved Kate's arm and you…

He held his hand up to stop her, he wasn't a hero he was just doing what he was good at, what he had studied and practiced all his adult life, skills that were in high demand now the world had gone to shit, any of his old colleagues would have done the same.

"That was different, I knew what I was doing then," he said, "But this, I'm not an ophthalmologist, I'm a pediatric surgeon. I've not done anything like this before. I mean, I've seen it done and assisted, but that was in a sterile operating room with a team of surgical staff and resources to call on, an anaesthetist.." he broke off.

"You've got Isobel," Beth cut in.

"Isobel isn't an anaesthetist," he replied shaking his head.

Beth's eyes swept across his face, she could feel her stomach knotting in to nerves too, nothing about this was ideal, but she needed to stay strong and she needed him to stay strong for Judith. She put her arm up to touch his forearm gently gripping the fabric of his shirt as she said, "You know you can do this, it's going to be okay, Judith's going to be okay," her eyes flashing reassuringly at him.

He nodded in slow agreement, and slowly she found her hand move further up his arm, as he drew her in to a comforting hug, exhaling out slowly in to her neck. When they were suddenly interrupted by an awkward cough to the side of the room, causing them to break apart and look over to see who had joined them.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything? Just wanted a quick word," Rick said awkwardly looking from Beth to Ryan. He had knocked but there had been no reply.

"Uh- I was just leaving, " Beth said quickly moving away from Ryan.

"Well, I just stopped by to say I appreciate what you're doing for us, and, I know we didn't get off to the best of starts, but ... that's my baby girl, don't let anything happen to her," Rick said addressing Ryan, his voice thick with emotion.

"I'll do everything I can," Ryan said sincerely.

...

Daryl was on his own, tucked away by some trees testing out the engine on his newly acquired motor cycle a vehicle that had been abandoned at the new safe zone his group had temporarily joined. People there had said that it had died and they couldn't get it going again, but within a couple of hours of fiddling with it when they had first arrived, Daryl had it sorted.

Looking up, out of the corner of his eye he suddenly spotted Beth walking towards him. He didn't say anything or acknowledge her, instead he just continued revving the engine on his newly found ride, his bare muscular arm gripping the handle as he avoided eye contact with the young blonde. Eventually turning the engine off to face her, realizing she was trying to say something to him that he couldn't hear over the noise.

"I said…I've been looking for ya," Beth said, glancing at him making fleeting eye contact. Noticing there was something different about him, he seemed a little aloof, distant even.

"Just been working on getting this thing started," he said wiping his hands on a rag and looking at the ground.

"Well, Ryan and Isobel are operating on Judith's eye, a few of us were going to go and sit with Rick," she said hesitantly gauging his reaction. She'd wanted to see if he wanted to join them, he'd just kind of disappeared over the past 24 hours since Judith's condition had stabilised. His brief absence from the group had been noticeable and Beth had missed him.

"Uh, huh...Well, I was going to go out for a ride, some place I wanted to stake out again," he replied, his expression blank and unreadable.

"Oh," Beth said, fiddling with a loose strand of her hair, before blurting out shyly, "You want some company?" Instantly regretting it when she saw the look on his face and he shifted uncomfortably on the spot. W_hat was she thinking?_

He cleared his throat, avoiding eye contact again as he mumbled, "Probably be quicker on my own."

Beth nodded, "Okay," she gulped, her cheeks turning pink. She wasn't quite sure why that stung so much but it did. She felt stupid and a tad rejected, she knew Carol had gone out on his bike with him already, so she had naively thought he might have liked it if she did too. Just the two of them again.

She didn't honestly know what she had expected though, she had known he was in a weird mood the moment she had approached him. She also knew only too well that he could be moody, quiet and cold when he had stuff on his mind. And there was definitely a slight atmosphere between them, not entirely unfriendly, it just reminded Beth of how they had interacted back at the prison. Friendly enough, but a little forced and awkward, not close in anyway. They'd never have had a real heartfelt conversation then, not like the ones they'd had on many occasions back when they had been alone together in the woods.

Looking at him now, Beth wanted to ask Daryl if she had done something to annoy him, but she thought better of it. She wasn't the centre of the world. Daryl was probably just worried sick about Judith; he loved that little girl, they all did.

Twisting her hands together, she boldly took a step closer to him and trying to sweeten the tense atmosphere, she said, "I think it's gonna be okay, Daryl. I think Judith will be fine."

Daryl couldn't help himself then, it was as though he had no control over the words about to spill out of his mouth, as his eyes flashing angrily, scowling, he said, "Yeah, well you want to know what I think? I think your hotshot Doctor friend there, ain't gonna be able to save the day this time." Quickly turning his back to her, so as to avoid seeing the look of hurt he knew would be appearing in her eyes.

"What is your problem?" Beth said raising her voice, her face reddening as she placed one hand on her hip, glaring at his back. She had forgotten how infuriating he could be sometimes, how much his words could hurt when he was in a dark mood.

"My problem?" he replied, turning back to face her, lifting his eyebrows, pointing his finger towards her face as he continued, "My problem, is that the world aint all sweetness and light, it never was before and it sure as hell aint now. People get sick, kids get sick and they don't always get better, things can't always be fixed. There ain't some magic wand you can wave to make it all better. Bad things happen all the time. The sooner you realize that the better, because you just need to deal with it…" he finished, looking her deep in the eye this time.

"You think I don't know bad things happen? " Beth yelled back when he was done. Pausing as they both continued to look at each other. She wanted to say some more, to scream at him everything she had been through, to remind him of all the people and things she had lost too, that someone had to keep positive and optimistic or they would all break down. But she knew it wouldn't do any good, so instead shaking slightly, she simply turned and walked away.

**Thanks for reading would love to hear a review if you have time. And please don't hate on Daryl too much, he is hurting for a number of different reasons right now and as we all know he doesn't deal with that too well, but he will make it up to Beth soon. **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N - THANK YOU so much again for the reviews and support for last chapter. I am really getting in to this story now. I do have a plan for it, but I would LOVE to hear anyone's ideas, suggestions for what they would like to see happen. **

**Okay, this chapter is all about our fav, Daryl, enjoy :)**

**(I confess, I haven't done a final sweep for any errors, as wanted to get this chap out while I had the chance and still haven't sorted out a beta!)**

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><p>Daryl sped down the deserted highway, the wind whipping through his hair as he picked up speed. The road ahead was long and he wasn't entirely sure where he was heading, but right now it didn't matter. Right now all that mattered was getting away, losing himself completely in the moment. Nothing felt quite like riding a motorcycle to Daryl. The thrill of being at one with a two wheeled machine, the risks involved often heightening the enjoyment for him. It had been a long time since he had felt this free he thought as he raced on.<p>

He thought about what could happen if he never turned back. It had been a relief to find some sort of civilisation again, but really and truly did he fit in there? He had been nothing but a redneck loser despised by most of society before the outbreak; why should that be any different once he was no longer needed for his hunting, fighting and survival skills? What use would he be to anyone then? he pondered some more, as he rode further and further away from where he had come from.

Riding out alone in the middle of no-where, it reminded him a little of his life before the outbreak. When even back in those days, in a completely different way, there had been times so awful that the only way he could escape was to take off on his own, in to the unknown for a ride, often for days at a time. Not that anyone would have noticed much back then. But it had always been a good way to clear his head, to get some perspective on what really mattered, on where he was going. But he'd come to realize now that when he ran, he was only running from himself. The person he had been before the outbreak hadn't been a true reflection of who he really was, his true self had slowly been emerging since he had had hooked up with his new family.

Daryl's life right now couldn't be more different to his old life, he knew that. His absence these days would be very much noticed if he took off for a while, Daryl was very aware of that. He had somehow in this crazy world, managed to find people that cared about him, loved him even, a place where up until now he had fit. But that didn't stop him from still needing his own space occasionally when things got too much. Back at the very start of the outbreak he had gone off on hunting trips to try and process just what the hell was happening to the world. Hunting was what he was good at it, it gave him a purpose.

Right now he needed to get away for a whole host of reasons, he thought, skidding around a corner throwing up dust.

He knew he had been out of line to Beth; she hadn't deserved the harsh way he had lashed out at her, a lump forming in his throat as he replayed their last conversation. His heart sinking a little, as he remembered the hurt look on her face as she had walked away from him earlier. Hurt that he had caused. He knew that she still kept herself going by trying to look for the good in things and the last thing he wanted to do was to knock that out of her. He knew he needed to make things right with her, and he would work on that. But Daryl couldn't think about that for the moment, he had other things on his mind.

He was angry, so angry at the world again, angrier than he'd been in quite a while. Baby Judith might not be his actual flesh and blood, but he loved her like she was. He still remembered so vividly the day she had been born, the way he had felt when he had first laid eyes on her minutes after she had arrived in to the world. He had never seen a baby so young before, so innocent, precious and tiny, so peaceful. And he'd vowed then to do everything in his power to make sure she made it, to protect her and give her a shot. He'd taken it upon himself to go out on a desperate mission to find the baby formula so urgently needed to keep her alive, knowing that he'd die before he came back without it. He'd saved her back then and she was all their baby now.

The little girl may have entered their world in the most horrific circumstances, after losing Lori, her mother. But as she grew they couldn't have asked for more of a bright shining light than Judith Grimes the lil asskicker. She signified a real hope for them all, a reason to keep pressing on, for her, for the future.

Now at this point, the sweet little girl hadn't deserved what had happened to her. Daryl wasn't a doctor, but he had observed first hand the way that savage beast had mauled her face, and he had seen enough dog bites in his time to know the little girl would be lucky to keep her eye as a result, even luckier for her vision to remain intact, and surviving in the twisted dark world now with that kind of handicap would be tough, real tough.

They may have a doctor back at the safe zone, but Daryl was smart and what he had meant by his little outburst at Beth earlier, even if he hadn't worded it in the best way, was that just having a doctor alone was no guarantee that Judith would come out of this okay. That was just the way the world worked now; there were no fancy hospitals anymore, miracle drugs and teams of medical people. If you got sick, you were pretty much screwed.

The thought of baby Judith being harmed in any way made him sick to the bottom of his stomach. Daryl wished he could share in Beth's optimism, but he knew only too well how cruel the universe could be.

Racing on, the speedometer creeping up and up, the machine visibly shook as Daryl pushed it to its limits, his hands gripping the handle bars tightly, eyes fixed fiercely on the long empty stretch of road ahead of him. The unknown.

He thought back to the horror he had felt when he had first heard the yells coming from Carl. Daryl knew it had been bad even before witnessing first hand the wild beast's jaws tightly clamping down on to the helpless little body of Carl's baby sister. Daryl would never forget the look on the little girl's face, and he thought how he should have been quicker, he should have moved faster, had his crossbow closer, if he'd only managed to get it a few seconds earlier, the damage could have been significantly less, things could be different now. But he'd been off his game, too engrossed in his conversation with Beth, his guard for danger had been down, he'd known Judith had been out there with Carl, but he just hadn't been paying enough attention. They'd spent her entire life successfully protecting her from walker bites only to let her get bit and risk potentially loosing her to a _damn stray dog._

The pain of losing her would have been too much for Daryl, for all of them, he knew that. For the pain of losing another little girl, Carol's little girl, still haunted him. The feeling of complete and utter helplessness that had drowned him when he had first seen Sophia coming out of that damn barn. He hadn't been able to find her, to save her. And he hadn't been quick enough to save Judith either.

But Judith wasn't dead, she hadn't turned. This was different. Judith still had a chance. As much as Daryl wasn't a fan of Ryan, he had to admit he had done a great thing in saving Judith's life the other day. He wasn't a bad person. He'd probably done far more good in his lifetime then Daryl could ever dream of. Thinking back to all the bad stuff he'd done with his jackass brother over his lifetime. Helping people and saving people's lives hadn't come in to it, not even close.

Snapping back in to reality, Daryl suddenly came to a crashing halt. He'd found the sweet spot, something worth stopping for. The view was stunning, the air so clear, he could see for miles. There wasn't a soul around, just beautiful nature.

He slowly got off his bike and sank down on to the ground, exhaling, placing his hands behind his head as he looked out some more, it was so quiet, so peaceful. And his mind wondered to Beth again. He couldn't put in to words how it felt to have her back. But she seemed to have changed, to have grown so quickly, she didn't seem so much a young girl anymore. Which both confused and excited him, he could no longer just brush her off as too young to think about in that way, thoughts he'd always tried to keep buried even from himself. Any feelings he might have experienced for her, even just tiny flutters he'd never properly understand, now being no different. He sensed in a way she wanted to get closer to him. But could he really risk getting too close to her?

Daryl had also seen the way Ryan looked at her too. Ryan was closer to her age, despite his arrogance he was a decent guy he could look after her, Daryl felt sure of that, and she should be with him he thought to himself. It was right.

But however much his head tried to tell him that, he couldn't quite figure out why his heart was telling him something different.

He drew in another long deep breath, glancing up at the sky, it would be getting dark soon, and he had just enough fuel to make it back to camp. He didn't belong out here on his own, he belonged back there he knew that.

He climbed back on to the motorcycle revving the engine turning it around, and a large cloud of dust quickly formed as he sped off in to the distance back the way he had come from…

**A/N- Thanks for reading, would love to hear your thoughts.**


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